TARLAC – Clyde Mondilla checked a season-long slump with a big victory in the final leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour, outdueling Peter Stojanovski and Jay Bayron to nail the hotly disputed ICTSI Luisita Invitational crown with a closing 67 here yesterday.
Mondilla literally saved his best for last, coming through with clutch shots and putts after clutch shots and putts in blistering condition, including a birdie on the par-5 16th to surge ahead. He held on to the finish as Stojanovski blew his bid with a wet bogey at Luisita’s most perilous hole on No. 17.
Not even a 5 on the closing par-4 hole could stymie Mondilla’s claim on a most cherished crown with an 18-under 270 total for a two-stroke victory as Stojanovski also closed out with a bogey in a desperate attempt to come up with a miracle finish and save his season. The closing bogeys marred an otherwise brilliant round for the Macedonian, who ended up with a 70 for a 272.
“There was pressure and Peter just wouldn’t give up until the last two holes. But I was able to play solid and my putting clicked,” said Mondilla, referring to his decisive four-birdie binge inside six feet in a five-hole stretch from No. 12 that keyed his stirring fightback from two down with eight holes left.
Mondilla, who missed a number of tournaments early in the season due to injury and could finish no better than 10th in Iloilo, thus averted going winless in the season after ruling four tournaments on his way to bagging the 2017 PGT Order of Merit crown. He received the top R750,000 purse from PGT executive director Narlene Soriano.
“I played good except in the last two holes. It’s quite frustrating to see things fall apart when the game was on the line,” said Stojanovski, “Clyde played remarkable. He’s tough and he deserved the win.”
